A comprehensive report from the Young Workers Conference held on 21/10/26
On Wednesday 21st of October 2026 we had our Young workers conference at the Mechanics institute in Manchester. For those who are unaware, the Mechanics institute is the birth place of TUC and is often used to hold many events and conferences related to union activity.
In attendance we had approximately 30 delegates from all over the UK in attendance to vote on the 17 motions that were put forth by our CWU members for the purpose of providing better working conditions among which were 3 emergency motions.
I personally submitted a motion for a maximum working temperature. This year's heatwaves were unbearable for our members and field staff, especially those who had to work outside without any access to AC. The working conditions were unsafe, and it meant higher risk of injuries due to the increasingly hot weather. A maximum working temperature means that our members have the right to stop work when it is too unsafe to do so in future heatwaves.
This report aims to highlight every motion mentioned at the conference and whether or not the motion fell or was moved.
Motion 1
An industrial motion whereby the conference instructs the NYWC (national young workers committee) to work with the T&FS (telecoms and financial services) executive to campaign for BT group to develop an education program and mandatory training on what constitutes hate speech. This motion is in support for vulnerable groups within the workplace and recognises that awareness and education can help community cohesion.
Submitted by: Scotland Region Young workers
Debate: There were no delegates in opposition to this motion
Outcome: Motion Moved
Motion 2
The Prime minister acknowledged that nearly 1 million young people in Britain are out of employment and has made education/training as one his top priorities, however, we are seeing the slashing of apprenticeship opportunities and the cutting of jobs in major companies as cost cutting measures. To quote the motion “Conference believes that high-quality apprenticeships are a vital pillar for ensuring that the future technical needs of our industries are met, offering earn while you learn opportunities that safeguard both individual livelihoods and the long term skills for the telecoms, financial services, and technology sectors”
For this reason, the conference has instructed the NYWC to work with the Telecoms and Financial services executives to
- “Campaign for the protection, ringfencing, and expansion of apprenticeship and entry level technical schemes across workplaces”
- “Challenge employers who pull back on training commitments or renege on permanent job guarantees for graduating apprentices, ensuring that training budgets are never treated as easy targets for cutbacks.“
- “Work alongside members and workplace reps to demand collective agreements that hold employers accountable for maintaining structured, high quality career pathways for young workers, regardless of short term economic cycles.”
Submitted by: Somerset, Devon and Cornwall
Debate: This Motion had no opposition
Outcome: Motion Moved
Motion 3
Across all sectors including telecoms, postal and engineering, the conference recognised the use and abuse of monitoring and surveillance systems in the workplace. To quote: “Workplace evolution has exposed a dangerous trend where corporate systems strip away human context, workplace stress and mitigating service histories to force unfair dismissals”.
Employers routinely roll out complex digital platforms, and tracking software without providing clear, formal guidance or acceptable-use training to the workforce. Shockingly, management frequently weaponizes data logs to fire staff even when internal security or compliance investigators explicitly recommend implementing an educational piece rather than punitive action.
Therefore, this motion is to have audits on how employers are utilising digital tracking software, security logs and data monitoring to flag disciplinary incidents.
To Campaign on “Training first Not Firing first” for new workplace technology.
And lastly, to deliver training for our local branch reps to help them challenge procedural pre-determination and "closed mind" management tactics during automated corporate investigations and dismissals.
Submitted by: Edinburgh Dundee & Borders
Debate: This motion had no opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
Motion 4
A recognition for a lack of graduate opportunities, motion 4 links this to the roll out of Artificial Intelligence for decrease in graduate opportunities available leaving young workers in an environment where they are competing for a dwindling number of junior roles whilst simultaneously corporate profits soar.
They also recognise that companies are making the implementation for AI mandatory without any say or appropriate training for the employee. Because of how much these technologies affect day-to-day working conditions, employees must have a direct say in where, when, how, and whether AI is used.
Therefore, this motion is for the development for a comprehensive policy around AI adoption in the workplace. To pushback aggressively against unchecked AI rollouts and to Campaign and negotiate for binding agreements that guarantee full workforce consultation, transparency, and the right of workers to reject detrimental AI implementations.
Submitted by: UTAW
Debate: This motion had no opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
Motion 5
This motion recognises the dangers of working conditions in the recent heatwaves we had earlier this year, It also recognises that other EU countries such as Spain have maximum working temperatures. So this motion calls for the National Young Workers Committee to work with the T&FS executive to push for greater health and safety measures that more appropriately reflect the 21st century working environments for our field staff. Specifically, urge the T&FS Executive to challenge employers across the T&FS constituency to establish a maximum working temperature for Field workers, and others who must work outdoors so that they are not forced to endanger themselves during future heatwaves.
Submitted by: South west region young workers
Debate: No opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
Motion 6
This motion is the same as motion 5 and aimed for postal workers and for call for NYWC to work with the PEC (postal exec committee) to establish a maximum working temperature for postal field staff.
Submitted by: NYWC
Debate: No opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
Motion 7
This motion recognises EE staff to be unable to book annual leave even months advanced. Therefore instructs the National Young Workers Committee to work with the T&FS Executive to raise these issues with EE and seek a review of the annual leave booking system to ensure it is a fair system which allows all workers reasonable access to their annual leave entitlements without unnecessary barriers.
Submitted by: Northern Ireland Telecoms Branch
Debate: No opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
Motion 8
This motion recognises an opportunity within postal to increase recruitment and increase membership especially amongst the young workers in Royal Mail.
Conference calls on the National Young Workers Committee to work with the PEC to:
- Assess and analyse Royal Mail’s recruitment data, so that we may know which offices now have the greatest proportion of young workers. This would provide us with clear targets, and would increase the chances of recruiting multiple new members at once.
- Consider strategies to increase support for branch young worker officers obtaining release days for traveling and recruiting new young workers in targeted offices. Conference recognises difficulties in obtaining additional release but believe it should be campaigned for wherever possible to maximise young worker engagement in recruitment and support should be provided to branches in how to negotiate this locally where possible
- To produce recruitment materials which specifically targets young workers in Royal Mail.
- To offer flexible bespoke organising and recruitment training to interested branch young worker officers on skills such as workplace mapping, one-to-one recruitment and rejection handling
Submitted by: Midlands Region Young Workers
Debate: No opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
Motion 9
This motion recognises the significant physical demands of delivering to blocks of flats and understands the long term health implications such as musculoskeletal problems that may even lead to the inability of doing their roles due to knee problems in the future. Therefore, the conference instructed NYWC to work with the PEC to campaign for letter boxes for flats as an easier alternative to delivering parcels and letters to blocks of flats.
Submitted by: North west region young workers
Debate: No opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
Motion 10
Motion 10 reinforces motion 2. There is a lack of jobs, apprenticeships and entry level positions. We are seeing an increase in these numbers as more and more young workers are out of jobs, training and education. The PM sees this as one of his priorities and this motion has highlighted the importance of high quality apprenticeships for the progression of our work force and to ensure future technical needs of our industries are met. The conference therefore instructs the National Young Workers Committee to work with the NEC to:
- Campaign for the protection, ringfencing, and expansion of apprenticeship and entry level technical schemes.
- Lobby government for statutory protections to limit capacity of employers to pull back on training commitments or renege on permanent job guarantees for graduating apprentices, ensuring that training budgets are never treated as easy targets for cutbacks.
- Work alongside the wider trade union movement to lobby the government to introduce agreements that hold employers accountable for maintaining structured, high quality career pathways for young workers, regardless of short term economic cycles.
Submitted by: Nation Young workers committee
Debate: No opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
Motion 11
Motion 11 highlighted that many workers feel pressured to be available and online outside their working hours. Once a worker is no longer clocked in, they should not feel pressured to work in unpaid hours. Therefore the conference notes the successful implementation of the right to disconnect in Ireland and other parts of the world and therefore instructs the National Young Workers Committee to work with the NEC to lobby the UK government to introduce similar legislation to protect working people.
Submitted by: Tyne Wear Clerical
Debate: No opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
Motion 12
This is another motion on maximum working temperature targeted for a national level and labour party. Unfortunately this motion did not move due to inaccurate information in the motion.
Submitted by: Great western postal
Debate: Debate was on the incorrect data and disagreement on eclectic vans as motion called for all vans to be electric in postal fleet
Outcome: Motion fell
Motion 13
This was our emergency motion for the ongoing support for Cuba as the situation continues to worsen and as Trump signs an executive order which imposes an oil ban. Also increased territorial threats on Cuba by the US.
The conference welcomes and supports the urgent call for peace and sovereignty, signed by 28 British trade union general secretaries and the TUC, and congratulates the Cuba Solidarity Campaign for delivering 15 consignments of medical and food aid worth more than £2m through the Cuba Vive appeal. Conference calls on the National Young Workers Committee to work with the NEC to:
- Call on the UK government to oppose the extra territorial application of U.S. sanctions, reject any US military intervention against Cuba and provide humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people.
- To support the campaigns and humanitarian appeals of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign and encourage all branches to affiliate to the CSC.
Submitted by: London Region Young Workers + South East Region Young Workers
Debate: No opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
Motion 14
There has been an exponential rise in AI over the last year as we see all areas of business adopt AI for various works. Although there is a fight to shoehorn the surge of AI, the conference recognises that our union reps are utilising AI in their respected union work such as AI images, posters and summarising documents to writing emails. At a time when AI features are being forced upon us, in an effort to artificially inflate engagement and to brute force us into acceptance of these new tools, we cannot be complacent about this use of AI. Nor can we ourselves, use it to streamline or replace work, just as the companies are doing to our members.
The reason why this is problematic are: environmental (due to the use of data centres), ethical implications for the mining of the materials needed for AI and its data centres, The incorrect information that can be received from AI, The data shared with AI, Loss of skills by being overly dependant on AI summarising documents.
The conference has instructed the National Young Workers Committee to work with the NEC to design AI training and educational materials, addressing the full ramifications of using AI for union work which will be made available for all branches.
Submitted by: Northern Ireland Region Young Workers
Debate: No opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
Motion 15
This motion calls for an organised system for Letter to branches. A modernised way to access all LTB’s.
To create a digital hub or upgrade the current website system to function as a fully searchable system.
Ensure the platform includes robust search capabilities, tagging, categorization, version control (revisions), and the ability to clearly link appendices to their parent documents so reps can find what they need independently.
Submitted by: Scotland No2
Debate: No opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
Motion 16
Since privatisation, Royal Mail has handed out almost £2 billion in dividends to its shareholders, however, the price of its services has increased, the quality of its services has decreased and has yet to prove to be a reliably profitable business.
Conference believes that privatisation of royal mail has been a failure. It has led to poorer services, devalued its work force and facilitated the growth of exploitative, gig-economy parcel companies. Hence this motion calls for the renationalisation of Royal Mail and to campaign for this.
Submitted by: NYWC
Debate: No opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
Motion 17
This motion recognises that unions are not known amongst the youth as to what unions are, what they do and how they help everyday workers. As more and more youth enter the workforce, they are unaware of unions, their rights and laws that protect them in the workplace. Therefore this motion calls for educating youth at the earliest possible stages in their education such as school visitations and engaging with school and colleges. To train branch reps to speak at secondary school and to further promote our CWU education weekends across our branches to give young workers the opportunities to learn about unions.
Submitted by: North East Region Young Workers
Debate: No opposition
Outcome: Motion moved
